Nandigram, the agrarian constituency in Purba Medinipur district which was witness to a fight-back by peasants led by the TMC against forced land acquisition for a chemical hub in 2007, has now turned into a battleground of Titans, with Mamata Banerjee suddenly deciding to switch from her Bhowanipur seat to the constituency held by her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari who has switched loyalty to the BJP.

The TMC movement supporting local farmers succeeded in thwarting the Left Front's plans to set up a special economc zone for large chemical factories and at the same time shaking the foundations of Left front's grip over Bengal's rural areas founded in the 1960s with a successful movement to ensure the rights of tenant farmers.

More than a mere political fight, the battle for Nandigram has turned into a bruising battle for survival where Banerjee's victory could herald the overshadowing of the powerful Adhikari family which has nursed the area for nearly a decade, while Adhikari's victory could pose a question mark on the chief minister's political future and possibly propel him into leading the BJP in Bengal, were it to win the battle of the hustings. The story heads to April 1. For more, watch the full video.